Sketch Tuesday - closet (wardrobe/cupboard)

Only just emailed the kids pictures across to Barb at Harmony FineArts for Sketch Tuesday so hoping they make it into the slideshow. If not they can be seen here anyway, both drew the same subject, a coat hanger!

Here is Annies.

Tom's


I'm not sure if we will continue Sketch Tuesday, not because we don't want to, but whether there will be time once the kids start school, suddenly feeling rather berift :-(

If we manage to do any it will be a bonus.

I love Home Educating.........

..........but it seems I may be sending Tom and Annie to school ...temporarily

The decision has not been made yet, although it does look likely. I've to view the school, then the kids will have to view it to. I've explained some of but not all my reasons elsewhere why this has come about.

This is not because HE does not work, on the contrary it does, but circumstances are not conducive to it at the moment. I need to recharge and refresh myself, so I can give my best to my kids. This seems at the moment the only option available to me to accomplish that.

I encourage my children to embrace new things, I really don't want them going to school, and although I do have negative experiences myself of school and have seen it, I do hear occasionally of rare people who loved school.

So if they do go, (and it's still an if )it's going to be as an educational experience in itself, to treat it as a glorified feld trip (I know what I mean) take all the good points and store them away, if anything seems not right or not working then they shall leave sooner than I can say Perpendicular (my favourite word)

I do feel sad, as one of my biggest regrets was Tom setting foot in a school, but I almost get the feeling I shall regret it if I don't send them. Annie occasionally asks about going to school. But I'm of the opinion never say never, and not to be too proud to go back in, or come back out, or even return again at a future date.
It's what's best for the family, MY family at any given time.

I wondered if I would change my blog title Educated By Life, to something else, we can get an education from school without a doubt, but is it a rich one? sometimes schools seem glorified babysitters - is that what I'm thinking of using them for?

But school is part of life, so I'll keep the title, because if they go they will have to come home to me each day, their lives won't stop because they have finished school for the day.

Until a decision is made, I shall continue as I have been doing, if they do end up going, I'll relate our experiences on here.

Sketch Tuesday - spring leaves

I nearly forgot Sketch Tuesday this week, and only remembered late yesterday afternoon.



That being the case, it caught Tom in a grumpy mood, so he didn't want to do it then, but Annie was quite happy to.

Here is her picture




I'm not sure whether it will be included, as I had computer problems last night, so couldn't send it across, I've sent it this morning, so hoping the time difference between us and the US will make it all right.

It's been a strange few days, mainly as I'm still 'resting' (even though I feel fine), I know the kids have done work, but for the life of me really can't remember what.

There has been feeble attempts at 'basics'. There has been lots of TV, now I don't mind TV in small doses, as treats, but I can tell they are TV'd out, they would argue they are not...but it does seem to change their moods, they get more irritable etc.

If anything, this has showed me, that to go completely autonomous is just not for us now. My children don't jump up and say they want to do something crafty, then proceed to make a replica boat out of matchsticks, as much as I would love them too...lol.

Some children are self motivating, others are not, mine unfortunately are the latter. That being said, when they get on with their work, after the odd grumble, they get on with it happily, they seem more inspired, more creative and then the ideas and self motivation starts to flow.

That's why mainly 'school' work is in the mornings and afternoons are left free to get on with what they want.

But TV hampers all that, as well as time on the PC. I'm seriously thinking of having a TV/PC free week, to see what happens.

The trouble is my own selfish side, I get things done when they zombie in front of which ever box they are looking at. Little Ruth keeps especially quiet for half an hour, other wise she is pestering the older two.

I do know the answer, it's being super organised, having activities/projects in place for them to do. But it means a lot of organising on my part, organisation is not my forte! That's why I started to put all my resources or anything I found of use in one place!

It's also the reason why I've started planning out their curriculum for September, if they know what they are doing, and I know what's to be done, everyone is a lot happier. By starting this early I'm hoping it will help me be more organised and motivated.

I don't like rigid schedules, and I like flexibility, I don't want it to be 'school' at home. So hoping to work something out that will make us all happy. Of course I'm not expecting it to be perfect, the best laid plans and all that!

Change of subject now and onto our caterpillars 13 days ago they looked like this


yesterday they looked like this


and now they are starting to turning into chrysalises




Unfortunately one of them has fallen to the bottom, so we shall have to wait and see, when they have all turned into chrysalises, we have to transfer them into the mesh pop up garden that was provided for them.

I read one book with Annie, and she learnt a lot from it. She was fascinated by caterpillars looking like twigs, and butterflies looking like leaves. It was an usborne beginner book


I wanted this week to go back to normal after the plasterers last week, but just had a phone call and we are having some new windows tomorrow!!! It's wonderful they are fitting us in, but of course workmen disrupt the routine, if only the constant cups of tea they want.

Oh well there is an extension to be built sometime in the early summer hopefully, I'd just better get used to the chaos around me...lol!

Singapore Placement Test

I'm working on sorting out Maths at the moment.

Annie just took the Singapore placement test and scored 72%, on 1A so I'm more than happy.

Tom on the other hand was in a grumpy mood, I thought I'd make it easy on him and a booster in confidence and gave him 2A, he should be doing about 4A. He scored 54% and missed chunks out that I know he can do.

After marking it, along with tears and wails (that's just me) he sulked for a while, after I told him, if he had to go back school they would drop him down a class or 3 (I know, bad mother)*rolls eyes*

He then asked if he could do another one, so I gave him 1B, needless to say he got 94%, the mistakes he made were minor as well.

This then did boost his confidence and now he's asking for more, but I'm going to hold off.

The placement tests have told me what I needed to know.

Tom's Snowman

Like everyone elese we had a smattering of snow, I missed it being tucked up in bed, but Tom made a snowman and took a picture for me to see, here he is.

Mixed bag of a rambling post

As I've been in hospital for a minor op, I've spent the last 3 days resting in my bed.

Mostly I've read, I've had my trusty laptop in bed with me too.

So the children have had an extended holiday which has continued into this week, (I'm not supposed to do anything strenuous - lol no danger from that then)

So they have done some Education City (EC) I've just upped Tom to level 5 in Literacy.

They done their 'Basics' but more of a slimmed down version.

I've yet to start their caterpillar/butterfly projects with them but Tom has wrote a couple of simple posts on his butterfly diary

He has done this willingly and we have enjoyed watching the caterpillars, although a song and dance routine they are not.

They eat and sleep and they are getting fat so quickly, you look at them in the morning, then look again in the afternoon and they have grown!

Tom is posting a picture of them every 2 days, as we feel it will show their progress better than everyday.

While resting, I've realised I have to be more organised with regard to their work, especially starting September, so I've set myself up yet another blog to start planning out a curriculum for them. Now Ruth is getting very independant and demanding although quite gorgeous still(terrible twos, )I need to have more things she can do quietly, a good post by Cherie has given me some ideas.

I'm hoping to get lots of ideas and advice and although I'm sure it wont be fool proof, having it all set in place will give me peace of mind. I've felt as the kids get older, especially Tom he needs more structure, Annie still 'plays' a lot all the time learning of course.

I'm supposed to have an LEA visit sometime in July, I've always enjoyed having them, our chap is great, but with moving into a house that's a renovation project, plus we are hoping to start an extension some time soon (for family - we have had our plans passed at last)
I'm even less organised than normal..so wondering whether to just to type all we've done and send it off, then have him the following year..I'll think on it as the kids like him visiting, and 'showing' off what they've done.


One of my main priority's is to keep their physical fitness up, so in the mornings, it's a 5-10 minute strecth and warmup, even Tom is now joining in with a bit of spirit now.

Theu are getting out and about on their new rollerblades, and we've just bought a trampoline from here it's yet to be put up as we have had the snow, but will be put up soon.
In our last garden it slopped so we couldn't have one, but I used to Trampoline and it's great excercise.

Annie is continuing with her swimming lessons, but as Tom isn't, we shall make more of an effort to go swimmimg, again more good excercise.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

We received our caterpillars from Insect Lore yesterday. We had bought the Butterfly Kit at the education show see post *here* about the visit.



You receive a paper form to fill in and send off with the week you require the caterpillars for. You need to block out approximately 5 weeks, to watch their progress.

You can buy it from Amazon and it seems to indicate that's free delivery to at £14.99, you have to pay P&P at Insect Lore, which is dearer at £19.99


To document their progress I have set up a blog for my son Tom to do called Butterfly Diary

Tom hates to write with a passion, so I'm hoping by doing this blog it will encourage him, more with his literacy.

It took him a while to do, as he was constantly spell checking, he did alright,at least he is doing plenty of ICT. I'm just hoping he will keep it up, and not give up after the novelty of blogging wears off...I shall be with him as he does this, helping him upload photos etc.

Tom and Annie, shall both a Butterfly Project. I shall put some resources together and brainstorm over at my resources blog. I might do a lapbook too!

Lots of arts and crafts can be included, along with plenty of reading...young Ruth who is fascinated by them, will join in where appropriate.

Sketch Tuesday - alive

Has a week passed already?


We have slowed down a little due to the holidays, we have been working on the house a renovation project! I've been to hospital, where I should have had a small op, but got sent home at 5:30pm, as they had run out of time, grrrr!!!

Due to go again this week, but now full of cold and I may have to cancel.

Anyway onto this weeks sketches, this weeks assignment was to draw something alive, the kids drew these with a friend, as I was hanging about the hospital for the day *rolls eyes*

Take a look at all the other sketches that entered barb's gallery this week here at Sketch Tuesday

There is no assignment for next week Tuesday April 8th, but there will be one for the Tuesday April 15th assignment is to draw a leaf.

So onto our sketches

This one is Tom's


and here is Annie's, note that she was thinking about me in hospital, although the subject matter was draw something 'alive', she was obviously hoping I still would be, that's me on the table looking dangerously pink !!! lol



Although not much work has been done, they have played, drawn, are learning to skate with the new roller blades. Much reading has been done too.

I think sometimes, the kids need to recharge and take a small break - too much of a break and they don't want to get going, but a small one does refresh them, and of course me.

My owl puke book arrived:
-----

Here are some pictures I've taken of it, these are what you get, the purple paper they are on is A4 size, so the book is just under that, you get a yellow flimsy plastic tray which has compartments to put the bones in. Plus the Owl Puke which is in foil.


This is the contents page



and here is the Bone Sorting chart


Even though the book is small, it's packed full of information. I'm going to see if I can find a downloadable bone sorting chart, so i can laminate it, to place the bones on. I don't know about the kids but I'm really looking forward to do in this one.